Streaming Picks: September 2018

FILMSTop PicksAdaptation – Hulu 9/1Chinatown – Prime 9/1Hold the Dark – Netflix 9/28
The first two are great films that got nominated for quite a few Oscars in their day. The former contains the best performance Nicolas Cage has given this century, along with a wild turn from Meryl Streep and an award-winning performance from Chris Cooper. The latter is Roman Polanski’s noir masterpiece that’s one of the best L.A. movies of all time.

Hold the Dark is the latest work from Jeremy Saulnier, whose previous efforts – Blue Ruin and Green Room – are twisted low-budget gems. This is first time playing with Netflix money, which means he won’t have to compromise to get a bigger budget.

NEW SHOWS & SPECIALSTop PicksManiac – Netflix 9/21The First (Season 1) – Hulu 9/14Forever (Season 1) – Prime 9/14
You might as well just stay indoors beginning September 14. Netflix also has Season 2 of American Vandal dropping that day. But Maniac is my most anticipated new show of the fall: Cary Joji Fukunaga’s first TV series since True Detective. Emma Stone and Jonah Hill reunite, playing mental patients who keep finding each other during their experimental therapy sessions.

The First is Hulu’s big foray into sci-fi, with Beau Willamon (House of Cards) playing off The Right Stuff and The Tree of Life, with Sean Penn leading the first manned mission to Mars.

Forever is one of those big surprises. From Alan Yang (Master of None) comes a romantic dramedy from two very funny people: Fred Armisen and Maya Rudolph, playing a couple at a crossroads. I don’t know anything about it, but that pedigree is enough to hook me.